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Updating to W11 with old hardware -Free simple way also as Win2Go too.
Hi folks
Some of you might want to update to W11 but don't have the required hardware but if you can manage installing and running a VM then you can do it without going through all sorts of hoops using registry fixes or manipulating dll's to get it to install.
The method basically installs to a VM which you then image and restore to "Real" physical hardware.
In the VM ensure UEFI boot available and Emulated TPM v2.0 in the VM config -- although in HYPER-V you can pass thru a physical TPM if you want.
You don't need sec boot but EFI boot must be supported on your hardware, (and in the "Virtual Bios of the VM) -- package OVMF / EDK2 for Linux hosts need to be installed, and for the tpm : swtpm, swtpm-tools - I think HYPER-V for Windows has those equivalent in Windows available anyway .
For Linux users the CPU is set to "Hypervisor default" which passes the W11 hardware check.
You need to create the W11 VM first -- just basic install -- plenty of ISO's on UUPDUMP -- select edition of choice. HYPER-V on Windows or KVM/QEMU on Linux hosts will create a Windows VM really quickly from the ISO. It's a bit trickier with VMWare - but still works, but I haven't tried via Oracle's Virtual Box. "Left as a test for the readers" !!!!.
This method works perfectly -- even on the latest 25xxx insider build which is much more intolerant of these "unofficial bypasses".
You can install even as a Windows2Go type of thing -- absolutely no paid software required. The only requirement for this method is that you have > 48GB of Disk storage for the Windows system, a TPM v2 and the ability to boot EFI (sec boot is better, but EFI is still good enough).
Here's my post from W11 Forum :
Create (activated) W11 on external SSD aka Win2GO for Free from VM | Windows 11 Forum
Have fun -- it's not as hard to do as you think - and doing it this way you can wipe / restart as many times as you need if things go wrong without compromising your existing running machine(s).
Cheers
jimbo
Last edited by jimbo45; 20 Aug 2022 at 06:32.